College News

News Release

Hospitality Faculty Honored by State Association

The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association has named Tompkins Cortland Community College Professor Susan Stafford a Star of the Industry. Stafford, the chair of the College’s Culinary Arts, Wine Marketing, and Hotel and Restaurant Management programs, was honored as the Outstanding Tourism Educator of the Year at an awards luncheon earlier this month at Turning Stone Resort and Casino. It is the first time the association has honored an educator with a Star of the Industry award.

Stafford has been at Tompkins Cortland Community College since 2003 and has served as chair of the Hotel and Restaurant Management program for nearly a decade. She led the development of degree programs in both Culinary Arts and Wine Marketing, as well as relevant study abroad trips for her students. For her dedication in the classroom she was the recipient of the Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching in 2007 and the Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Award for Faculty Service in 2013.

The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA) is the oldest state lodging association in the country, dating back to 1887. Today the association includes more than 1,100 members from nearly all segments of the tourism industry, including colleges and universities.